Fire next door to sprinkler business put out quickly

SOUTH SALT LAKE — In business, it's all about location, location, location.

For one business here Friday, location may have saved the store.

A fire started at Tech Advanced Materials near 2700 South and 1000 West, about 9:40 a.m. The business uses acetone, a highly flammable substance, in metal materials, said South Salt Lake Fire Chief Steve Foote.

"As luck would have it, all our crews were close by doing training," he said.

Even luckier for the company, was that the adjacent business, Simplex Grinnell, specialized in making advanced fire sprinkler systems and had one installed throughout the complex.

An employee used four of Simplex's fire extinguishers on the fire in addition to the advanced sprinkler system activating and "dumping a whole bunch of water all at once," on the fire, Foote said.

"That held it in check until the cavalry showed up all at once," he said. "All the forces were aligned today."

The rest of the fire was put out quickly. Because of the acetone, Foote said the fire could have been much worse.

Investigators were still looking Friday at what may have sparked the fire. There were no injuries.

E-MAIL: preavy@desnews.com